News
February 5, 2026
Global WACh Certificate Student Brooke Erickson supports efforts to strengthen perinatal research recruitment in Seattle
Categories: Certificate Program, Children, Mental Health, Research
Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) are prevalent mental health conditions that occur during pregnancy or within the first year postpartum. Poor mental health in this period is associated with adverse outcomes for both mothers and children, including maternal morbidity and mortality, and hindered child development. Although PMADs are common, a significant treatment gap remains, with more than half of women experiencing symptoms not receiving timely, high-quality mental health care.
To help fill that treatment gap, Brooke Erickson, a second-year MPH student in the Department of Global Health and Global WACh Graduate Certificate Student, is supporting the “Maternal Infant and Dyadic Care (MInD)” randomized control trial that is evaluating the feasibility of integrating depression care with Promoting First Relationships Brief (PFR-B), an evidence-based program that promotes children’s social-emotional development by focusing on caregiver-child relationships. (more…)
February 2, 2026
Researchers convene to disseminate findings that can inform future HIV and TB care in Kenya
Categories: HIV and Co-Infections, Research
Researchers convened in Nairobi, Kenya on November 14, 2025.
In November 2025, researchers on multiple UW and Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) collaborative projects focusing on HIV and tuberculosis (TB) convened in Nairobi to share key findings and discuss future directions. Dr. Sylvia LaCourse (Associate Professor with joint appointments in Department of Medicine – Allergy & Infectious Diseases and Global Health) presented on the role of HIV on TB infection detection, prevention strategies and immunity in pregnant women and children.
The shared results concluded more than 10 years of dedicated work by collaborators at UW (Dr. Grace John-Stewart, Dr. Tom Hawn, Dr. Barbra Richardson, Dr. Irene Njuguna), Emory University (Dr. Cheryl Day, Dr. Lisa Marie Cranmer), University of Nairobi (Dr. Lisa Maleche-Obimbo), and Kenyatta National Hospital (Dr. John Kinuthia). Future directions include considerations for policy to guide HIV and TB treatment and preventative strategies to improve health outcomes in Kenya.
(more…)
January 16, 2026
Researchers share the latest science at the 2025 D&I Conference
Categories: Conferences, Implementation Science, Research, students
Global WACh researchers among a group of researchers University of Washington Department of Global Health and partner organizations
In December 2025, Global WACh faculty, staff, and student researchers presented the latest science at the 18th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination & Implementation (D&I), co-hosted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and AcademyHealth. The conference theme, “Realizing the Benefits of Dissemination & Implementation Science,” highlighted success stories and challenges in turning evidence into impact across health systems and communities.
Our team participated in a larger network of fellow researchers from the UW Department of Global Health and partner organizations. It was an enriching and insightful opportunity to learn about emerging trends and evidence in the implementation science field for all.
(more…)
December 19, 2025
MIND study collaborators convene at UW to discuss future directions for childhood neurodevelopment research
Categories: Children, HIV and Co-Infections, Implementation Science, Research
MIND meeting collaborators at the University of Washington
Spotlight on Dr. Arianna Means named in Top 10 UW public health stories of 2025
Categories: Gut Health and Child Survival, Research
Photo credit: Elizar Mercado
A spotlight on Dr. Arianna Means’s (Associate Professor, UW Global Health and implementation scientist) contributions to prevent childhood illnesses around the world was named in the UW School of Public Health’s top 10 public health stories of 2025. Congratulations to Dr. Means on this recognition!
Read the May 2025 spotlight: Arianna Means shares why preventing childhood illnesses is imperative for global health
December 5, 2025
Researchers receive major grant to study impact of HIV/ART exposure on child neurodevelopment
Categories: Awards, HIV and Co-Infections, Implementation Science, Research
Multiple Principal Investigators Grace John-Stewart, Dalton Wamalwa, Kathleen Powis, and Andrew Prendergast leading the newly awarded U19 RISE Project
An international research team with Global WACh and partners in the U.S., Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Botswana received a five-year long $36 million dollar grant from the National Institute of Health to better understand how HIV or antiretroviral (ART) exposure in utero influences child health outcomes, including neurodevelopment.
“Researching Interventions and Implementation Strategies to Evaluate the Health and Development of Children Affected by HIV (RISE)” is a large NIH-funded U19 Program to evaluate tools for screening children for neurodevelopmental delays and to identify interventions to optimize neurodevelopment among children with and without in utero HIV/ART exposure.
The RISE Program includes three distinct research Projects and three Cores that provide shared resources, focusing on scientific administrative support, data management and analysis, and dissemination and stakeholder engagement, to facilitate the Projects.
(more…)
December 4, 2025
Dr. Keshet Ronen receives award to assess inclusion in digital community health services in Kenya
Categories: Awards, mHealth, Research
Congratulations to Dr. Keshet Ronen, Assistant Professor in Global Health, for receiving funding for “Empowering Women through Digital Connectivity: Advancing Community Health in Kenya” that leverages the ongoing CHV-NEO (Community-based digital communication to support neonatal health) trial activities.
CHV-NEO uses text messaging, integrated into Kenya’s national electronic community health information system (eCHIS), to remotely connect mothers of newborns with community health workers for enhanced care during the high-risk neonatal period. CHV-NEO has the potential to reduce neonatal mortality and improve coverage of community-based perinatal preventative care in medically underserved communities in Kenya. (more…)
December 2, 2025
Global WACh Co-Director Anjuli Wagner nominated for the 2025 UW Minority Faculty Mentoring Award
Categories: Awards
Congratulations to Dr. Anjuli Wagner, Associate Professor in the Department of Global Health and Global WACh Co-Director, for being nominated for the UW School of Medicine’s Committee on Minority Faculty Advancement (CMFA) Minority Faculty Mentoring Award.
This award recognizes faculty who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to mentoring faculty from communities underrepresented in medicine and science. Its purpose is to celebrate someone who fosters inclusive professional growth and improves diversity, equity, and representation within the University of Washington School of Medicine.
(more…)
December 1, 2025
Global WACh Certificate Student Elizabeth Momoh investigates anthropometric recovery to improve health outcomes for malnourished children
Categories: Certificate Program, Gut Health and Child Survival, Research, students
As part of the Global WACh Graduate Certificate Program’s required 90-hour capstone, Elizabeth Momoh, a 5th year PhD Candidate in the Department of Chemistry and Global WACh Graduate Certificate Student, is investigating how children’s anthropometric recovery from severe acute malnutrition aligns with the recovery of their immune system.
In malnourished children, regaining physical growth and development (typically measured by weight and height) often happens faster than regaining their body’s ability to fight infectious diseases.
It is critical for researchers to understand whether children who appear nutritionally recovered still have hidden immune problems that could put them at higher risk of becoming malnourished again.
(more…)
November 25, 2025
Global WACh Certificate Student Angella Kim supports efforts to improve maternal immunization in WA State
Categories: Certificate Program, students
Despite evidence of safety and effectiveness of maternal vaccines administered during pregnancy, the public’s confidence of vaccines and the healthcare systems delivering them remain low in many regions, including in Washington (WA) State.
The WA State Department of Health (WA DOH) and global health nonprofit PATH recently established a partnership to improve local public health outcomes – including increasing maternal immunization and uptake of recommended vaccines – by leveraging global health best practices.
During Spring 2025, Angella Kim, a 2nd year MPH student in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health (HSPOP) and Global WACh Graduate Certificate Student, supported activities to help identify what practices can be used globally to locally and inform the partnership’s maternal immunization programming. (more…)
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